1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety closures for use on containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a safety closure for use on a container, wherein the safety closure and the container are each provided with engageable locking means which cooperate to seal the container and to inhibit access thereto by individuals of tender years.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the prior art to sealingly affix a safety closure upon the neck portion of a container to prevent unwanted spillage of the contents of the container therefrom. Typically, a gasket liner is positioned within the safety closure which sealingly engages an upper portion of the container neck portion. Alternatively, a sealing plug may be integrally-formed within the safety closure which resiliently engages the upper portion of the container neck portion to define a sealing fit therebetween. It is therefore desirable to provide a safety closure for use on a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure is sealingly affixable to the container neck portion to prevent spillage of the contents of the container therefrom.
It is even further known in the prior art for the safety closure and the container neck portion to each include engageable locking means which cooperate to inhibit removal of the safety closure from the container neck portion by individuals of tender years. It is therefore further desirable to provide a safety closure for use on a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure is sealingly affixable to the container neck portion to prevent spillage of the contents of the container therefrom, and wherein the safety closure and the container each include engageable locking means to inhibit removal of the safety closure from the container neck portion by individuals of tender years.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,289 to Landen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,078 to Akers, each teach a safety closure device being affixable to a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure includes a continuous plug which is engageable with the container neck portion to define a sealing fit therebetween. The continuous plug also serves to bias the safety closure outwardly from the container neck portion, thereby cooperating with locking means provided on the safety closure and on the container neck portion to inhibit removal of the safety closure from the container by individuals of tender years. However, it has been observed that, where a common element is used as both biasing means and sealing means, seal integrity is oftentimes breached due to the flexure of the common element which is necessary to provide the bias. Thus, it is further desirable to provide a safety closure for sealingly engaging a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure includes biasing means which are separate and independent from sealing means provided thereby.
The present invention is for a safety closure for use on a container, wherein the safety closure is provided with separate and independent biasing means and sealing means. The safety closure is provided with at least one lug which engages a bayonet provided on a neck portion of the container and which is biased in a xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d position on the container neck portion by at least one spring member. The spring member flexes against an outer surface of the container neck portion to provide an upward biasing force to the safety closure, thereby seating the lug into the bayonet and requiring the user to depress the safety closure downwardly against the spring member bias to unseat the lug. The sealing means is preferably an integral plug which is sized to engage an opening in the container neck portion. Flexure of the spring member does not affect the sealing engagement of the plug within the opening.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety closure for use on a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure is sealingly affixable to the container neck portion to prevent spillage of the contents of the container therefrom.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety closure for use on a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure is sealingly affixable to the container neck portion to prevent spillage of the contents of the container therefrom, and wherein the safety closure and the container each include engageable locking means to inhibit removal of the safety closure from the container neck portion by individuals of tender years.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a safety closure for sealingly engaging a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure includes biasing means which are separate and independent from sealing means provided thereby.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the ensuing detailed description in conjunction with the drawings and with reference to the appended claims.
A safety closure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an end wall and a side wall depending from the end wall. The side wall has at least one lug projecting therefrom near a lower end thereof, which is engageable with at least one lug-receiving recess provided in the container neck portion. A sealing plug depends from the end wall and is sealingly engageable with a dispensing orifice provided in the container neck portion. At least one spring member depends from the end wall and is resiliently engageable with the container neck portion to bias the safety closure away from the container neck portion.